Follow-up after treatment for ovarian cancer

Follow-up after treatment is an important part of cancer care. Follow-up for ovarian cancer is often shared among the cancer specialists (oncologists, surgeon) and your family doctor. Your healthcare team will work with you to decide on follow-up care to meet your needs.

Don’t wait until your next scheduled appointment to report any new symptoms and symptoms that don’t go away. Tell your healthcare team if you have:

pain in the legs, lower back, pelvis or abdomen

swelling of or pain in the abdomen

change in bowel habits

increasing bloating, nausea or vomiting

weight loss

The chance that ovarian cancer will come back (recur) is greatest within 5 years, so you will need close follow-up during this time.

Schedule for follow-up visits

Follow-up visits for ovarian cancer are usually scheduled:

every 3 to 4 months for the first 2to 3 years after finishing initial treatment

every 4 to 6 months for the next 3 years

then once a year

During follow-up visits

During a follow-up visit, your healthcare team will usually ask questions about the side effects of treatment and how you’re coping.

Your doctor may do a physical exam, including:

a pelvic and rectal exam

feeling the neck, abdomen and legs for swelling

feeling the lymph nodes in the groin

Tests are often part of follow-up care. You may have:

Tumour marker tests

Tumour marker tests may be done to monitor how the treatment is working. Rising levels of a tumour marker may mean that the cancer has recurred. The doctor may order tests for different tumour markers for different types of ovarian cancer:

cancer antigen 125 (CA125)

alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)

human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG or b-HCG)

carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)

Blood tests

Blood chemistry testsmay be done to show how well certain organs are working. They can also be used to find abnormalities that may mean the cancer has spread to certain organs.

Complete blood count (CBC) may be done to check for anemia from long-term bleeding, especially if the ovarian cancer has spread to the small or large intestine (also called the bowel).

Imaging tests

Imaging tests may be ordered to check how the treatment is working or investigate new symptoms:

chest x-ray

CT scan

PET scan

If the cancer has come back, you and your healthcare team will discuss a plan for your treatment and care.